Careers for Graduates with a Degree in Nursing
Hospital Jobs It is natural that hospitals where the greatest number of sick and injured people are found is also the place where there are many career opportunities for graduates with a degree in nursing. A simple look at a hospital directory or listing of its specialty floors will help graduates with a degree in nursing to determine if careers at a particular hospital should be pursued. Within a given institution graduates with a degree in nursing might find specialized units such as Emergency Room, Pediatric Care, Cardiac-Vascular, Intensive Care, Medical-Surgical , Obstetrics and Geriatrics. All units require a variety of levels of nursing care and certification and all provide careers for graduates with a degree in Nursing.
While hospital wages for graduates with a degree in nursing do not seem to keep pace with the demand for nursing services, those who chose a hospital based nursing career do benefit from the variety and flexibility of schedules, the relative ease of job transfer within and between hospitals. Perhaps more than any other career for graduates with a degree in nursing, working in a hospital setting connects nurses directly with the cutting edge of treatment techniques and medical breakthroughs.
Visiting Nurses As a result of modern hospitals’ attempts to expedite discharges and free up bed space, the demand for visiting nurses has skyrocketed and increased the number of careers for graduates with a degree in Nursing. Graduates with a degree in Nursing who have a professional or personal aversion to hospital work and prefer the independence of working at their skill in one on one at home visitation will find many career opportunities to work as a Visiting Nurse. Jobs in this area of nursing are available through community associations, private agencies or hospital auxiliary services. As a Visiting Nurse , graduates with a degree in Nursing, routinely see patients dealing with a wide variety of ailments from recovering heart attack cases to multiple fracture patients. While the job of Visiting Nurse may require some driving, most work is conducted during the day and is easier to arrange around the demands of one’s own family.
School Nurses Most states mandate the number of public school nurses per number of students within each district. Graduates with a degree in nursing who enjoy working with children, like a school setting or need school day hours will find plenty of available opportunities working as a school nurse. Of course graduates with a degree in Nursing who decide to work in a public or private school must be ready for the occasional monotony of children with cuts, bruises, headaches and stomaches while staying primed to deal with that serious emergency that can result from caring for children with asthma, epilepsy, allergies or who are on a wide variety of serious medications.
Geriatric Nursing As the American population continues to gray and age more and more seniors find themselves in nursing homes, assisted living, Alzheimer’s assisted living and independent living facilities. New and demanding careers for graduates with a degree in nursing are available in these venues for those who enjoy the special challenges involved with geriatric care. In this field the number of careers for graduates with a degree in Nursing will only continue to grow in the foreseeable future. Again the pay often does not seem competitive with other degreed positions but there are perks and in the newer facilities the working environment can be very pleasant indeed.
Special Function Nurses Any place where large groups of people congregate to perform work, enjoy entertainment, or receive education there are likely to be careers for graduates with a degree in Nursing. On college campuses, in the military, in clinics for the needy, on cruise ships, at college dormitories , with tour companies, there is just no end to the careers for graduates with degree in nursing. It may take some time and a lot of ambition to pursue the ideal nursing career, but with a degree in nursing you become universally qualified to do certain tasks. Its up to you to determine what part of the medical universe is meant for you and then with your degree in Nursing in hand to pursue your dream.